WORLDKINGS TIMES

Thursday, May 2, 2024
Home Hot news Russia's Sberbank unit unveils self-driving vehicle FLIP

Russia’s Sberbank unit unveils self-driving vehicle FLIP

(Worldmark.world) SberAutoTech, a subsidiary of Russia's largest lender Sberbank (SBER.MM), has developed a fully self-driving vehicle, FLIP, which the company on Thursday described as a "taxi of the future".

Sberbank is diversifying in areas ranging from food delivery and taxi services to cloud computing and cybersecurity and has made technological strides, last year unveiling a new virtual assistant, smart speaker and other gadgets.

FLIP is the size of a conventional passenger car but with space for six passengers, SberAutoTech said.

It has met the maximum requirement of international automated driving standards, but so far has only been tested on closed tracks.

SberAutoTech did not disclose how much it had invested in the project or any details about prices, suppliers or its expected production timeline.

Replaceable batteries power the vehicle’s electric motor, but it can also harness the power of alternative fuels like natural gas and hydrogen, SberAutoTech said.

“The company’s know-how is the battery layout, which allows for all modules to be replaced in no more than five minutes, comparable to refilling a standard car with traditional fuel,” the company said in a statement.

“The flexible architecture of SberAutoTech’s self-driving technology will enable us to roll out solutions across a variety of verticals, like freight transport, last mile, and taxis,” said Sberbank Chief Technology Officer David Rafalovksy.

The curved design, with no obvious front or rear, resembles the flying vehicles from the 1985 Soviet TV series ‘Guest from the Future’, which were also called ‘Flip’. SberAutoTech did not say whether the film had inspired the design.

Russian market leader Yandex (YNDX.O) has already tested thousands of driverless hours in Russian cities and abroad, while its driverless robot buggies have started delivering restaurant meals in Moscow.

According to reuters.com

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Greatest roads in the world (P.170) Pikes Peak Highway: Scenic road in the American West

The adventure begins at the foot of Pikes Peak, where travelers embark on a scenic ascent that gradually unveils the splendor of the surrounding...

[HONORARY PROFESSOR OF RECORD FOR PRACTICE AND EMPIRICAL RESULTS – 2024] RECORD HOLDER CHU BAO QUE (BAC GIANG PROVINCE, VIETNAM)

  - FULL NAME: CHU BAO QUE - DATE OF BIRTH: October 11, 1967 - NATIVE COUNTRY: Bac Giang Province, Vietnam - POSITION: Deputy Secretary-General and Chairman of the Policy...

Top spectacular natural landmarks of the world (P.482) Salar de Huasco: The beauty of Chile’s highland

Salar de Huasco is a salt flat located in the Tarapacá Region of northern Chile. It's part of the larger Los Flamencos National Reserve,...

World’s largest coral-restoration project unveiled in Saudi Arabia

The newly built nursery, on the coast of NEOM in northwest Saudi Arabia, is set to transform coral restoration efforts with a production capacity...